BUSH’S IRAQ WAR: FACTS AND STATISTICS

[ getting wise to the facts of the U.S.’s illegal war in Iraq ]

Civilian deaths 24,712 – 27,963 (as of 9/12/05)
U.S. Military deaths 1,897 (as of 9/14/05)
U.S. soldiers wounded in action 14,265 (est. 9/14/05)
Contractors killed 264 (est. 9/14/05)
Journalists killed 52 (est. 9/14/05)
Cost of stationing troops in Iraq: $4 billion per month*
Estimated total costs of Iraq war >$100 billion
Estimated costs to Californians $10,159,000,000.00

Number of insurgents in Iraq (estimates):
Nov. 2003 5,000 fighters
June 2005 16,000-40,000 fighters and 200,000 Iraqi Sympathizers

Average # of attacks by Iraqi resistance per day 70
% of Americans who believe the U.S. is bogged down in Iraq 62%
% of Americans who think the U.S. is well liked in the world 26%
% of Iraqis expressing “no confidence” in U.S. civilian
authorities or coalition forces 80%

Fraction of U.S. soldiers in Iraq who are Guard members/reservists: 4/10
Army National Guard recruitment: missed April ’05 target by 42%
% of reserve troops who earn lower salaries while deployed: 30-40%
% of U.S. police departments missing officers due to deployment: 44%

Deployment: More than 300,000 coalition troops deployed to the Gulf region: about 255,000 U.S., 45,000 British, 2,000 Australian, and 200 Polish troops (60 of whom served as combat soldiers).
[http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0908900.html

* U.S. government figures; New York Times, March 21, 2004

The official U.S. combat operation in Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, lasted from March 20–May 1, 2003. May 2003 marked the official end of hostilities, however, civilian and military casualties mount daily and the American press avoids these numbers like the plague that they are. Because it forms the larger and most deliberate context of our activism, we want to disorient you to the war as well. War is not about freedom. War is not about democracy. It is sheer, utter brutality. A policy of cowardice and moral bankruptcy.

While shareholders and executives at Halliburton, Bechtel, Lockheed, Zapata Engineering and Raytheon – to name a few – grow fatter profits from the war, blood runs, hatred grows, and lives continue to be destroyed. By the time you read this, these figures will already be inadequate. We ask you to stay informed, and to do whatever you can to wage peace.

[ internet sources ]
http://electroniciraq.net/
http://iraqbodycount.net/
http://www.afsc.org/iraq/guide/default.shtm
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/iraq.pdf
http://icasualties.org/oif/
http://www.ips-dc.org/iraq/costsofwar/iraq_faq_june_28.pdf
www.wagingpeace.org
www.voicesinthewilderness.org
www.corpwatch.org